WliiVmQ 


TVie    Last    Xsvaeli+lsii     Bloocjl   Sacrifice 


BMI75 
.S3W5 


Vol.  XXXVII,  No.  1 


WASHINGTON 


January,  1920 


THE 

ATQOMAL 


::OPVRIGHT,  1  920 


THE    LAST    ISRAELITISH    BLOOD    SACRIFICE 

How  the  Vanishing  Samaritans  Celebrate  the   Passover 
on  Sacred  Mount  Geri/im 

Bv  John   D.  Whiting 

\uTHi  R   (  F   "From    Jerusalem   to   Aleppo."   "Village   Life    in   the   Holy   Lanp."    an-d 
"Jerusalem's  Locust  Plague,"  in  the  National  Geographic  Magazine 

Illustrated  icitli  the  only  set  of  n'ujht  pliotoyraphs  ever  taken  of  this  aiieieiit  cerc- 

iiio)iv.  and  inmieroiis  other  unique  pictures,  by  the  American 

Colony  Photinjra pliers.  Jerusalem.  Palestine 


SHECHEM,  Samaria,  and  Neapolis 
were  once  great  cities  of  the  ancient 
civilized  world.  Today  their  glory 
and  importance  are  n6  more,  save  in  his- 
tory. Here  alone  we  find  a  dying  and  al- 
most extinct  community  of  Samaritans, 
the  remnant  of  a  once  numerous  sect, 
whose  persistent  continuation  and  literal 
performance  of  the  i'assover  Sacrifice 
have  attracted  the  attention  of  students 
for  more  than  three  centuries. 

Nablus,  the  modern  Shechcm,  the  only 
home  of  the  Samaritans  of  today,  is  a 
town  of  about  27.000  inhabitants,  lying 
some  forty  miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  The 
jKipulation  is  chiefly  Moslem,  the  remain- 
der l)eing  c()ni])osc'd  of  various  Christian 
sects,  together  with  a  mere  handful  of 
Samaritans.  But  as  yet  no  Jew  has  set- 
tled there,  the  Biblical  axiom  still  holding 
good,  "for  the  Jews  have  no  dealings  with 
the  Samaritans." 

Besides  being  a  center  of  trade,  Nablus 
has  gained  a  little  fame  for  its  soap,  made 
of  ])ure  olive  oil,  a  variety  which,  though 
crudely  manufactured,  is  used  almost  ex- 
clusively by  the  people  of  the  city,  and  is 


much  prized  by  the  natives  of  Syria  and 
Egypt. 

The  town  nests  in  a  confined  valley  run- 
ning east  and  west,  between  twin  moun- 
tains— Ebal,  some  3,000  feet  above  sea- 
level,  which  looms  up  on  the  north,  and 
the  lesser  Gerizim,  about  150  feet  lower, 
which  closes  in  on  the  south,  with  its  base 
in  ])laces  only  a  few  hundred  yards  from 
that  of  its  mate. 

From  the  lower  slopes  of  Gerizim  issue 
numerous  and  copious  springs.  The  mod- 
ern town  has  therefore  crept  up  in  their 
direction.  These  waters,  after  filling  the 
demand  made  upon  them  by  the  city,  find 
their  way  into  extensive  gardens  to  the 
west,  where  flourish  fig  trees,  laden  with 
delicious  fruit,  pomegranates  hung  with 
scarlet  bloom  and  fruit,  yellow  quinces, 
walnuts,  mulberries,  olives,  and  occasional 
bitter-orange  trees  raised  for  the  perfume 
extracted  from  the  flowers.  Among  the 
trees  many  varieties  of  vegetables  grow  in 
abundance. 

The  houses  of  the  town  are  dome- 
roofed  and  lattice-windowed,  constructed 
from  the  soft,  white  limestone  of  Mount 


NAIJLUS    (TITIv    MODKRX    SIIKCTTKm),    T  1 1  Iv    ONLY    IIO.MK    Ol'    Till'    S  A  M  AK  i  lA  XS    TOP  W 

The  town  nestles  in  the  valley  which  lies  between  Mount  h'hal  and  Momit  Geri/ini. 
The  i)icture  is  taken  fmni  the  lower  slopes  of  (".eri/'ini,  near  Has  el  Ain.  while  .Mount  h'hal 
is  seen  in  the  haeks^rouud   (see  map,  pas^e  -|6 ) . 


l-lbal.  The  streets  arc  ])ictiires(|uelv  nar- 
row and  most  of  them  are  i)a\-e(l  with 
col)])le-stones,  with  liere  and  there  an  arch 
thrown  across  and  sn])portini^"  a  room 
al)ove. 

Tiiiv  TioMi",  cnv  Ol'  Tin-:  SA.\rAKn'Axs 

Tn  the  "sotiks,"  or  markets,  as  in  most 
Syrian  towns,  the  stores  are  so  smah  that 
the  customer  stands  outside  to  examine 
the  meager  display  of  European  and  na- 
tive (Damascene)  wares,  llere  are  rows 
of  silversmith  shops,  where  the  artisans 


work  ci"oss-k\^"i:^ed.  prodticin;.;'  from  crndc 
silver  elaborate  ornaments  for  the  peasant 
women.  Mere  are  the  cofTee  sho])S.  the 
sireel  in  front  blockaded  with  men  sittini^' 
tipon  low  stools,  sipping'  the  thick,  hoi 
beverage  from  tiny  cii]is  and  smoking  the 
long.  red-])i])ed,  bubbling  narghile  as  they 
gossi]:)  and  play  a  game  of  "tawla." 

Next  are  the  sweetmeat  venders,  from 
whose  stalls  large  trays  of  "kanafie"  ]iro- 
trude  into  the  street.  This  ])astry  clish, 
for  which  Nablus  is  noted,  has  a  tilling  of 
fresh,  sweet  cheese.     After  it  is  baked. 


A   STKKKT   IN   TIIK  SAMAKnW.N    l.lliyrTO  01-'   NABLUS 

From  the  main  market-place,  lung.  dark,  tnnncl-like  lanes  lead  to  tlie  Samaritan  Quarter,  at 
the  foot  of  the  sacred  Alount  Gerizini. 


'Ill  I'i    II  II. I.   Ol'    SA.MAKIA 

Oinri,  the  sixth  king  of  Israel,  in  the  ninth  centurv  B    C     honolu  -,„  ;     i  .    i  i  "ii       r 

„„les  west  of  Shechc,,,,  „„ere  Ik-  bu.h  hi»  capital  ani  „a„Ka  U  s"a','';r;a.  a"!";- '  .-'uii'S 


Tiiiv  ACKororjs  oi"  sa^fakia 

'I'hc  chv  (if  Samaria  fmni  its  inception  nvcTsliadowed  its  ruai.  Slu'chrni,  and  perhaps 
muler  Roman  rule  attained  the  pinnacle  of  its  .liiory.  The  luiiperor  Angustus  ])resented 
it  to  Herod  the  Great,  who  rehuilt  and  emhellished  it  after  the  Roman  style  and  renamed 
it  Schaste. 


melted  butter  and  thick  syrtip  are  ]ii)tired 
over  il  until  il  is  literally  soaked  with  tlu' 
mixture. 

k'rom  the  chief  niarket-i)lace  the  Sa- 
maritan Quarter  of  Nablus  is  a])|)roache<l 
from  the  north  through  long,  tunnel-like 
lanes  which  lead  to  the  very  foot  of  the 
sacred  mountain. 

Just  above  the  city,  Gerizim  is  steep 
and  rocky,  and  the  trees  disappear.  In 
summer  the  mountain  side  is  gray  and 
barren,  but  in  winter  even  the  smallest 


])atches  of  earth  are  scratched  with 
])rimitive  ])lo\vs  and  sown  with  wheat  or 
barley. 

Till':   i"i<ii;m)I.v  cactus 

Across  from  the  town  the  slo]:)es  of 
h'.bal  present  a  very  different  ]>icture. 
lujually  rocky,  they  arc  still  j^erennially 
green  with  cactus  bushes  planted  among 
the  rock  ledges,  which  are  curiously  stud- 
ded with  ancient  sepulchers,  whose  open 
doors    from   a   distance    reveal   only  the 


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RUINS  OF   'nil'.   ROMAN    I'ORUM    AT   S.\-M.\KI\ 

Note  the  weather-beaten  tops  of  the  cohimns,  while  tlie  lower  ])arts  retain  their  original 
wliitcncss,  showing  how  deep  these  ruins  were  covered  by  debris  when  tlie  work  of  excava- 
tion was  undertaken,  with  the  aid  of  American  rescarcli  funds,  under  the  auspices  of  tlie 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston. 


darkness  within.  Some  of  these  tombs 
were  rifled  centtiries  ago ;  others  have 
come  to  light  within  the  past  few  years. 
Many  liave  stone  doors  and  stone  hinges, 
with  stone  locks  still  in  working  condition 
if  the  keys,  prohahU'  of  bronze,  could  br 
fotind. 

But  the  modern  inhabitants  do  not 
pride  themselves  on  this  interesting  ceme- 
tery, as  did  the  peoples  of  bygone  times. 
To  the  Arabs  of  today  antique  relics  are 
of  no  import ;  but  they  feel  justly  proud 


(if  the  cactus  or  prickl\-pear  btishes,  which 
present  a  weird  spectacle  and  cover  every 
available  space  in  this  oriental  God's 
Acre.  The  fame  of  these  bushes  reaches 
as  far  as  the  Hos])orus.  where  the  much- 
\)v\7.cd  frtiit  is  a  favorite  gift  among  the 
notables  of  Constantinople. 

The  prickly-pear  cactus  was  first  intro- 
dticed  into  .Palestine  by  the  Crusaders; 
todav  it  is  grown  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  being  valuable 
not  only  for  its  fruit,  but  also  as  an  ex- 


A    Vli:\V    OI'*    MODKRX    SKCASTl-:    AND   'I'lII-;    SURKOl'XDI  XC.    HILLS 

After  cliiubing  to  the  zenith  of  luiglit,  Sebaste  slowly  relapsed  into  insigiiiJicance.  Today, 
amid  the  ruins  of  a  splendid  past,  a  squalid  mud  village  occupies  the  site  and  retains  the 
name. 


cellent  hedge.  The  natives,  liowever,  do 
not  yet  a]:)pfeciate  its  great  value  as  forage 
for  cattle.  The  camels  helj)  themselves 
to  il  whenever  they  get  a  chance,  their 
months  heing  so  tough  that,  regardless  of 
llie  s])ines.  they  devour  the  leaves  with 
tnimistakahle  reli>h.  The  h'.hal  cactus' 
superiority  lies  in  the  extra  large  size  of 
its  frtiil,  the  tenderness  of  its  seeds,  and 
its  sweet  and  luscious  flavor,  due  l)oth  to 
the  j)eculiar  soil  and  to  the  ])rotection  af- 
lorded  from  the  cold  north  winds.  'IMie 
Arabic  name  for  the  pear,  sabbir  (pa- 
tience), seems  eminently  appropriate  to 
one  who  has  innocentlv  handled  the  un- 


l)ealed  fruit  and  had  his  hands  filled  with 
the  microscopic  s])ines.  which  can  be  ex- 
tracted onlv  b\'  ])aintul  laboriotisness. 

SlIl'X'll  l-Ar,  WIll'.Ki:   Tilt:   I'.IKLlv   I  XTKoniU'I'S 
AllKAII  AM 

The  first  cit\-  built  in  this  valley  w'as 
Shechem,  which  occu])ied  a  site  a  short 
distance  to  the  east  of  Nablus.  Mere,  at 
the  highest  point  of  the  valley,  where  the 
rains  to  the  east  find  their  way  to  the 
Head  v^ea  and  lliose  to  the  west  to  the 
Mediterranean,  is  a  small  artificial  hill. 
Kecent  excavations  by  archeologists  have 
revealed  a  city   wall  encircling  the   re- 


TIIK  SAMARITAN  S\- N  AC.OCUK 

This,  the  only  house  of  worsliip  which  the  Samaritans  possess,  is  a  very  ohin  building 
and  only  a  few  hundred  years  old.  In  the  recess  to  the  left  behind  nrmnXnZ^.  bmlding 
pnnnat  ve  safes  and  cupboards  containing  many  pard;;ent;\1;d  pX"  "  f  ™l"Vem 
liic  noted  Abishua  Codex  (see  illustration,  page  12).  ^utuciib,  among  tnem 


OXK    (Jl*    TllK    SYXAGOCLM;    CLRTAIXS 

Tliis  silkrii  curtain,  heavily  embroidered  in  gold,  is  used  in  the  synagogue  to  hang  in  front 
of  the  scroll  chests.  The  designs  represent  the  cup  of  manna,  ark  of  the  covenant,  Aaron's 
rod  blossoming,  the  seven-branched  candlestick,  the  table  of  shew-bread,  the  golden  censer, 
and  other  temple  furnishings  such  as  existed  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem. 


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12 


mains  of  houses  and  have  laid  bare  numer- 
ous ancient  eartlienware  vessels. 

As  we  look  u])i)n  these  primitive  habi- 
tations, more  than  3,000  years  old,  it  is 
hard  to  realize  that  we  are  not  actually 
IiKjkini^"  on  the  oldest  city  built  here,  but 
upon  a  town  that,  at  this  early  date,  had 
ahx'adv  had  a  long  existence. 

It  is  at  Shechem,  then  called  "Sichem," 
and  the  ])lain  of  Aioreb,  into  which  the 
Shechem  gorge  opens  at  its  eastern  ex- 
tremity, that  Bil)lical  history  introduces 
Abraham,  the  father  of  the  Hebrews,  in 
Canaan.  Likewise  Jacob  made  this  lo- 
cality his  first  haU  on  returning  from  his 
sojourn  with  Laban  in  Haran.  Tdere  he 
purchased  the  parcel  of  ground  whither, 
at  a  later  date,  Joseph's  bones  were 
brought  from  h'gypt  to  be  buried,  and 
where  today  Jacol)'s  well  is  pointed  out 
as  the  si)ot  at  which  Jesus  and  the  Sa- 
maritan woman  met  (see  map,  page  46). 

Immediately  following  the  Israelitish 
invasion  of  Canaan  and  the  taking  of 
Jericho  and  Ai,  Joshua  built  upon  Ebal 
the  first  altar  of  sacrifice  erected  by  his 
people  in  the  new  land. 

The  Shechem  V^alley  now  became  the 
tlieater  of  the  first  general  convocation, 
and,  according  to  the  Mosaic  injunction, 
the  whole  congregation  was  assembled, 
"half  of  them  over  against  Mount  Geri- 
/-im  and  half  of  them  over  against  Mount 
i'vbal."  From  Ebal  were  to  be  proclaimed 
the  curses  against  those  who  should  for- 
sake the  law  of  their  God,  and  from 
Gerizim  the  blessings  that  would  result 
in  the  following  of  YaJnvch  (the  unpro- 
nounced  Hebrew  name  for  God). 

Here  also,  just  before  his  death,  Joshua 
addressed  the  last  assembly  of  the  people, 
making  a  covenant  with  them. 

We  now  come  to  the  broader  period  of 
its  history.  Ephraim.  destined  to  figure 
as  the  leading  tribe  of  the  Northern  King- 
dom, had  the  lot  of  its  possession  fall  to 
tlie  district  wherein  v^hechem  lay.  This 
territory  was  tiien  known  as  "Mount 
Ephraim." 

'I^he  town  of  Shechem  itself  was  appor- 
ti(jned  to  the  Levites,  since  they,  1)eing 
a  tribe  of  priests,  received  no  inheritance 
except  cities  and  their  subiud)s  in  which 
to  dwell  throughout  all  the  tribes.  She- 
chem was  also  selected  as  one  of  the  cities 
of  refuge,  and  throughout  the  Hebraic 
occupation  held  an  important  j^lace. 


.\i!u  i;l  hass.an,  so.\  of  tiiic  L.vTiv  iiic.ir 
PRiKST  j.\con 

All  llie  Saniarilan  priests  wear  long-  hair, 
wliicli  tluy  wind  uiuk'r  tiicir  clonK'-sliaixii 
fo//.LS.  "And  the  Lord  said  unto  Mose.s,  speak 
unto  tile  priests  and  say  unto  them  that  tliey 
shall  not  make  baldness  upon  their  heads;  nor 
shall  they  shave  ofif  the  corner  of  their  beards" 
(Lev.  21  :  1-5). 


t3 


JACOH,   SO.X    OF   AARON,   LATlv  SAMARITAN    1HGI1    I'RIKST 

Members  of  the  present  priestly  family  trace  their  ancestry  to  the  tribe  of  Levi      The  direct 

Aaronic  line  that  existed  till  modern  times  has  now  failed. 


14 


U 


A    ^■()lIl\(•.    I'Kll'.S'l"    WKITINT,    A    SAMAKIIAN     I'l'.  N  T  ATl'.Ti.' 1 T 

All  the  Samaritan  Pcntatcuclis  ami  praxer  Ijooks.  as  well  as  the  l)ot)ks  u>cil  by  the  school 
children,  arc  hand-written.  Parchment  was  used  up  to  two  centuries  ago;  since  then  paper 
lias  come  into  vogue.  Aside  from  the  fact  that  the  poverty  of  the  modern  Samaritan  com- 
mends the  use  of  paper,  which  is  much  clieai)er,  the  orthodox  scholar  will  not  write  on 
Icrither  unless  the  hide  from  which  it  is  prepared  has  been  taken  from  an  animal  slaughtered 
by  a   iirie«t. 

It 


..t:iSlff& 


.-",<|HI^ 


'^yrii 


Tlllv    VIF.LAGK    ()!••    ASKAK.    AXCIKXT    SVCIIAK 

Just  behind  the  village  is_  Jacob's  well.  The  mountain  in  the  backoroun.I  i.  Gerizim 
while  the  mosque  on  its  sumnnt  marks  the  site  of  the  Samaritan  temple  to  whicli  '  no  doubt' 
the  bamantan  woman  pomted  wlien  conversing  with  Jesus. 


Dtiring-  the  ])ei-i<Kl  of  the  Jud.t^vs  litllc  of 
importance  is  lieard  of  Alotmt  I\i)hraini. 
except  that  /\l)inielech,  .son  of  Gideon  bv 
a  Shecheniite  concubine,  was  made  "King" 
of  Shcchem,  and  ruled  three  }'ears. 

With  the  advent  of  David  came  the 
Golden  Age  of  the  Hebrews.  The  capi- 
tal was  moved  to  Jerusalem,  where,  upon 
his  succession,  Solomon  built  the  re- 
nowned Temple  and  established  thereby 
a  center  of  worship. 

But  this   unified   kingdom   was   short- 


b\e(l,  and  with  the  death  of  Solomon,  his 
son,  Rehoboani,  ])roceeded  to  Shechem. 
where  all  Israel  was  gathered  to  make  him 
kmg.  Instead  of  this  being  consummated, 
ten  tribes  revolted  and  luade  Jeroboam, 
an  attache  of  Solomon's  court,  king.  Jero- 
boam selected  Shcchem  as  his  liome. 
Thus  the  northern  ten  tribes  established 
the  Kingdoiu  of  Israel,  now  forever  rent 
from  the  Kingdom  of  Judah,  which  was 
composed  of  the  two  remaining  tribes, 
Judah  and  Benjamin. 


i6 


NKAR   SVCIIAR   IS   JACUP/S    WKLL;    ITS   DKPTII    IS    IXDICATKD    1!V    Till-;    LIvXGTiI    Oi- 

TIIlv    KOI'K 

To  tlie  cast,  towering  above  the  encampment,  is  the  loftiest  of  Gerizim's  peaks,  crowned  with 
ruins — a  spot  where  once  temples  stood. 


U 


^^'^    **►-,  % 


fc- . 


TIIK    SAMAklTAX     l'ASS()\KK    CAMl',    TllK   OM.V    KKMAIXIXC    1 SK  A  Kl .  ITIS 1 1    CAMP    IN 

Tlllv    WOKI.I) 

T..  the  cast,  t.nvuinK  ul.ove  the  cnoain,.,UL-nt,  is  the  lotticsl  ,,f  Gcri/iin's  peaks,  crowned  with 
rums — a  spot  uliere  once  temples  stood. 


i8 


LAMBS  SELKCTP:!)  FOR  THE  SACRII-ICE  OF  THE  PASSOVER 


THE   CONGREGATION    GATHEKING    FOR   THE   SACRH-'ICIAL   CEREMONY 

As  they  assemble  one  by  one  they  spread  small  prayer  cloths  upon  the  ground.     Upon  these 
they  stand  with  bare  feet,  having  dropped  tlieir  prayer  slippers  behind  them. 


10 


'n.-:    SAMAKITAX     ,no„     ,.K,KST    ,,ACcn    ..KA.HN.;    Ti.K    i'ASS<.VKK    SKKVC. 

iden£^wl;V;lSrc;^^;he  aUSs  'Th^^.,-;""  i  ^'^^^  '^^^-^  ^'^^  P-yer-niche  design 
holy  rock  on  the  crest  of  Mount'Srizhi)  wS"  ws^ph.'^"  '^"  ^'""  ^°'^  °^  «°'^-  ^^^e 


THK    TRRXCTT-AI/PAR    PKlCPARKn    FOR    TIIp;    SAMARITAN     1*  \SS()\!;R 

Two  large  copper  kettles  filled  with  water  are  placed  over  this  altar.  At  a  short  dis- 
tance, and  higher  than  the  altar  level,  is  the  laiioor.  or  ground  oven,  for  tiie  sheep-roasting. 
The  men  in  the  right  background  are  tending  the  oven. 


Omri,  the  sixth  king  of  Israel,  in  the 
ninth  century  B.  C,  bought  an  isolated 
hill  a  few  miles  west  of  Shechem,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  valley,  and  there  bitilt 
his  capital,  naming  it  Samaria,  after  its 
original  owner.  At  the  time  of  the  First 
Captivity  the  Kingdom  of  Israel  lost  its 
northernmost  tribes  and  its  possessions 
beyond  the  Jordan.  From  them  Galilee 
was  then  created,  while  the  remaining 
southern  part  inherited  the  name  of  its 
once  important  capital,  Samaria,  and  be- 
came a  State  subject  to  Assyria.  Thus 
was  the  land  cut  up  into  three  districts — 
Galilee,  Samaria,  and  Judea. 

SEBASTiv,  CITY  OF  IIKROD 

The  city  of  Samaria,  from  its  incep- 
tion, overshadowed  its  rival.  Shechem, 
and  probably  attained  the  height  of  its 
glory  under  Roman  rule ;  for  the  Em- 
peror Augustus  presented  it  to  his  pro- 
curator, Herod  the  Great,  who  rebuilt 
and  embellished  it  after  the  Roman  style, 
and  renamed  it  Sebaste  (Greek  for  Au- 


gusta). ]\luch  of  Herod's  work  still  re- 
mains, notably  a  double  colonnade  en- 
circling the  hill's  crest. 

An  Arab  proverb  says.  "IJeyond  every 
mountain  ascent  there  is  a  descent."'  And 
Sebaste.  after  climbing  to  the  zenith  of 
power,  slowly  relapsed  into  insignifi- 
cance; so  that  today,  amid  the  rttins  of 
its  splendid  past,  a  sfjualid  mud  village 
hears  the  once  grand  title  (the  name  in 
Arabic  being  slightly  altered  to  "Sebas- 
tieh").  Here  is  a  rare  instance,  possibly 
the  only  one  in  Palestine,  where  the 
(jreek  name  has  outlived  the  older  Se- 
mitic form. 

Sebaste  had  become  a  ]ilace  of  no  im- 
portance more  than  four  centuries  before 
the  Emperor  Vespasian  founded  Xeap- 
olis  (New  City)  in  the  Shechem  vale, 
west  of  the  older  town,  in  67  A.  D.  This 
"New  City"  soon  outstripped  the  older 
Shechem,  and  in  the  fourth  century  be- 
came one  of  the  foremost  cities  of  Pales- 
tine— a  distinction  which  it  still  enjoys 
under  its  Arabic  name  of  Nablus. 


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THE  LAST  ISRAKTJTTSTT   P.LOOD   SACRTFTCH 


The  Samaritan  religion  is  closely  akin 
to  that  of  the  Jews,  the  chief  differences 
heing  that  the  cult  of  the  former  centers 
about  Oerizim,  while  that  of  the  Jews 
centers  about  Zion,  and  that  the  Samari- 
tan canon  of  Scri])tnre  is  restricted  to  the 
Pentateuch,  or  "Five  Books  of  Closes." 
The  later  writings,  including  the  Prophets 
and  Psalms,  the  Samaritans  repudiate  as 
uninspired. 

In  view  of  the  similarity  in  their  be- 
liefs and  practices,  it  seems  strange  that 
there  exists  and  always  has  existed  the 
fiercest  animosity  between  Jew  and  Sa- 
maritan, but  it  is  the  animosity  that  in- 
variably exists  between  an  original  and  a 
schism. 

The  Samaritans  maintain  that  they  are 
the  remnants  and  descendants  of  the  once 
great  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and  that  the  split 
between  them  and  the  Jews  came  about 
through  the  maladministration  of  the 
priesthood  by  Eli's  sons.  Followers  of 
the  Jewish  Church  are  looked  upon  as 
dissenters  from  the  pure  faith  of  Israel, 
and  the  forming  of  a  center  of  worship 
in  Jerusalem  by  Judah  is  condemned 
upon  the  ground  that  the  land  of  Eph- 
raim, with  Shechem  and  its  mountains, 
figured  in  the  earliest  history  of  the  He- 
brews ;  that  here  the  first  Israelitish  altars 
were  erected,  and  that  these  were  the  onlv 
'specific  parts  of  the  Land  of  Promise 
mentioned  by  Moses  in  the  wilderness. 

Tim    Rli;XOWNKD    SAMARITAN     SCROLL 
PHOTOGRAPHED    AT    LAST 

The  most  precious  document  of  this 
sect  is  the  renowned  Samaritan  scroll 
Pentateuch.  This  scroll  is  some  seventv 
feet  long,  and  toward  the  end  its  columns 
are  divided  vertically  by  a  small  gap. 
often  occurring  between  the  letters  of 
the  same  word.  Into  this  gap  is  carried 
and  written  any  letter  that  occurs  in  the 
lines  which  fits  into  the  writing  of  the 
date,  so  that  w  lu-n  reading  the  text  it  fills 
its  place,  while  on  the  other  hand  these 
separated  letters  when  read  collectively 
from  the  top  of  the  column  to  the  bot- 
tom, like  the  Chinese,  spell  out  the  name 
and  date  of  the  writer,  etc.,  thus  making 
it  impossible  for  the  date  to  have  been  of 
a  later  writing  than  that  of  the  scroll 
itself. 

The  Samaritans  assert  that  the  scroll 


2?> 


was  written  by  Abishua.  the  great-grand- 
son of  Aaron,  in  the  early  years  of  the 
entrance  into  Canaan,  l)ut  no  impartial 
student  will  allow  it  this  very  remote  ori- 
gin, although  it  is  believed  to  be  the  most 
ancient  copy  of  the  Pentateuch  in  exist- 
ence. 

So  jealously  guarded  is  this  scroll  that 
few  non-Samaritans  have  ever  seen  it. 
and  many  of  the  Samaritans  themselves 
have  not  seen  it  except  as  it  is  exhibited 
on  rare  occasions  at  feasts,  rolled  up  and 
covered  with  a  silken  cloth  and  with  but 
one  column  exposed. 

The  scroll  has  recently  been  photo- 
graphed from  end  to  end,  and  will  soon 
be  published  for  ihe  benefit  of  Hebrew 
scholars. 

It  is.  of  course,  impracticable  to  display 
this  very  fragile  parchment  continually, 
but  it  is  unfortunate  that  the  modern 
Samaritans  impose  upon  their  guests  by 
sliowing  them  a  scroll  of  much  later  date 
tlian  the  one  which  all  so  covet  to  see. 
The  imposition  has  gone  further,  for  all 
photographs  made  heretofore  supposedly 
of  the  original  Abishua  scroll,  as  it  is 
called,  have  in  reality  been  t)f  the  later 
copy. 

While  the  Jews  have  scattered  all  over 
tlie  world  since  the  captivities  and  have 
absorbed  nnich  that  is  foreign,  in  many 
instances  adapting  their  religious  prac- 
tices to  their  new  environment,  the  Sa- 
nicaritans  have  during  the  same  lapse  of 
time  lived  in  the  land  of  their  fore- 
fathers, aiuong  Semitic  peo])les  akni  to 
the  Hebrews,  and  because  of  this  fact 
have  handed  down  to  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury a  glimpse  of  the  old  Jewish  Church 
almost  in  its  purity.  A  notable  instance 
of  the  survival  of  an  ancient  religious 
ceremony  is  the  celebration  of  the  Pass- 
over Sacrifice. 

One  of  the  distinctive  differences  be- 
tween the  Samaritan  and  the  Jew  lies  in 
their  methods  of  comj)uting  the  calendar. 
Instead  of  adopting  the  lunar  year  solely, 
the  Samaritans  base  their  calculations  on 
the  moon  but  they  are  at  the  same  time 
also  governed  by  the  movement  of  the 
sun.  The  system  is  so  complicated  as 
to  form  one  of  the  chief  studies  of  the 
young  priests.  Basing  their  authority  on 
the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  for  thus  dif- 
ferentiating  from  the   Hebrew  calendar, 


r',A.it 


.v.* 


--^  .-d" 


Kii,i,i.\c,  Till.;  i'asS()\i-;k  sacrifick 


llic  caldrons  of  water  are  already  boiling.  "Then  shall  all  the  c.ivocation  ,,f  the  as- 
sembly of  Israel  slay  it  between  the  two  evenings."  As  these  words  are  read,  with  one  deft 
stroke  downward,  each  of  the  three  slaughterers  cuts  the  throat  of  one  lamb  and   iunips  to 


24 


TIIK   SI'ITTi:i)  SAt'KI  I'ICIAI.    l.AMl'.S 

Oil  <i;ikrn  si)its  slii;hlly  longer  than  tlic  dcptli  ..I  tlu-  .s^rcjiiihl  .i\rii.  the  (hoscil  Iambs  arc 
I)lac(.-(1  Irii.ulhwise.  thf  hrads  lian.uini;  down.  "I'.at  imt  of  it  raw,  nor  mxMimi  at  all  witli  water; 
his  head   with  hi.s  Irt^s,  and  with  thr  iinrtcnancc  thm-ot."' 

the\- puiiu  out  thai,  ill  llie  liistofy  ot' crca-  iimcli   acti\it\-.      Mtilt-s   and    doiikevs   arc 

liciii.  when   lln-   suii  and  moon  ari'  intro-  loadrd    with    ti-nts   and   dllicr   nc'ces-^ilic-^. 

diircd,    it    i^    said    of   tlicm    iointU .    "Lcl  wliili-  yotmi^-  and  uM.  sick  and   well.  (|tiit 

lliiMii   ]>v   f(»r  ^i|^■n^.  and    for  season^,  and  their   lioini'^   lo   make    llii'    piljiirimage    to 

fi>r  daws  and  \i'ars"    (('.en.    i:  14).      I'^or  (K'fizim,    in    obedience   to   the   command, 

the   al)i)\-e   reaNoiis   the   Satnaritans   some  "'I'hoit  ma\-est  nut  saoritice  the   Passover 

\ear>    celehrale    their    I 'ass(i\i-r    with,   oi"  within  an\-  of  thine  own  j^ates.  but  in  the 

nearly    with,    the    Jews,    while    at    olher  ])lace  wln'cli  ^■ah web  tliy  God  shall  choo.se 

time>  their   fourteenth   of   Abilj  conies   a  lo    make    a    habitation    for    J  lis    name." 

month  bihind.  (  )ften,  i)ers()n.s  .seriously  ill  are  carried  in 

their  sick  beds  to  the  camp,  and  here  not 

i'Ki:i'AKi.xo   loK  nil.;  i.'Kast  oi'  nn;  infrequently  babes  are  born. 

I'AssovuR  Prior  to  the  date  appointed,  nuich  time 

A  few  days  before  the  Passover  the  is  spent  in  arranging  the  camp,  rebuild- 

Samaritan   ghetto  becomes  the  scene   of  ing  the  taiioor,  or  ground  oven,  used  in 


25 


26 


THE  XATTOXAL  CKOGRAPHTC   MAGAZTXE 


roasting  the  sacrifice,  and  in  procuring 
the  necessary  wood  and  brush  for  fuel._ 
The  ascent  to  the  camp  spot  on  Geri- 
zim  requires  usually  an  hour,  whether 
mounted  or  on  foot.  Nablus  is  left  be- 
hind by  a  ]Ydth  leading  up  from  its  west- 
ern suburbs,  and  passing  tlie  Samaritan 
cemetery,  an  open  field,  its  rocky  and 
stone-strewn  surface  overgrown  with 
weeds  on  which  donkeys  and  cattle  may 
be  seen  browsing.  The  trail  leads  up  in 
short,  stifif,  winding  courses  through  a 
slight  depression  where  olives  and  other 
trees  grow  vigorously.  The  way  soon 
becomes  so  steep  that  beasts  as  well  as 
pedestrians  are  forced  to  halt  at  intervals 
for  breath.  But  the  time  is  not  wasted, 
for  the  view  of  the  town  in  its  glaring 
whiteness  below,  fringed  with  verdant 
gardens  and  nestling  between  the  twin 
mountains,  is  a  scene  truly  beautiful. 

THE   ENCAMPMENT   OE   THE    ISRAELITES 

Once  up  this  steep  ascent,  the  ridge  is 
gained.  Along  it  the  path,  now  fairly 
level,  leads  to  a  slight  depression  in  the 
saddle,  where  suddenly  the  visitor  sees 
before  him  more  than  forty  white  Egyp- 
tian and  Damascus  tents,  the  only  ver- 
itable Israelitish  encampment  of  religious 
significance  in  the  world. 

A  pity  it  is  that  these  more  modern 
tents  are  used  instead  of  the  primitive 
goat-hair  ones  of  the  Bedouins,  which 
would  more  nearly,  if  not  entirely,  re- 
semble those  used  during  the  Exodus. 

To  the  east,  towering  above  the  en- 
campment, is  the  loftiest  of  Gerizim's 
peaks,  crowned  with  ruins,  a  spot  where 
once  temples  stood. 

It  is  Passover  eve.  Selected  .sacrificial 
lambs  are  contentedly  wandering  about, 
uncon.scious  of  their  impending  fate. 
They  have  been  purchased  some  days  in 
advance  of  the  Passover,  in  obedience  to 
the  law,  "in  the  tenth  day  of  this  month 
they  shall  take  to  them  every  man  a 
lamb.  .  .  .  Your  lamb  shall  be  with- 
out blemish,  a  male  of  the  first  year.  .  .  . 
And  ye  shall  keep  it  up  until  the  four- 
teenth day  of  the  same  month." 

But  the  scene  is  not  cjuiet.  Scores  of 
people,  non-Samaritan,  young  and  old, 
have  come  up  to  "smell  the  air,"  for  to 
the  Nablus  people,  and  especially  for  the 


lads,  it  is  a  day  of  excitement  not  to  be 
missed. 

The  camp  ground  is  a  small,  elongated 
field,  the  i)roperty  of  the  Samaritans. 
No  special  system  is  observed  in  pitching 
the  tents,  beyond  leaving  a  path  between 
the  two  uneven  rows.  Each  family  has 
one  tent ;  a  few  have  two. 

At  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  camp 
is  the  kinisch  (synagogue),  where  the  re- 
ligious rites  are  observed  while  in  cam]). 
It  is  a  small,  oblong  plot  surrounded  by 
a  low  rubble  wall  except  to  the  east, 
where  terrace  above  terrace,  now  much 
dilapidated,  rises  in  step  form  to  the 
mountain  crest  beyond. 

THE   TREXCII-ALT.\R 

At  the  northern  end  of  this  space,  or 
prayer  inclosure.  a  trench  has  been  dug 
and  lined  with  uncut  stone.  "An  altar  of 
earth  shalt  thou  make  unto  me.  .  .  . 
And  if  thou  wilt  make  an  altar  of  stone, 
thou  shalt  not  build  it  of  hewn  stone  ;  for 
if  thou  lift  up  thv  tool  upon  it.  thou  hast 
I)olluted  it." 

Across  this  altar  two  large  copper  ket- 
tles, filled  with  water,  are  placed.  Beyond 
the  northeastern  end  of  the  inclosure, 
and  higher  than  its  level,  is  the  tanoor, 
or  ground  oven,  for  the  sheep-roasting. 
It  is  a  pit,  the  depth  equal  to  a  man's 
height,  from  five  to  six  spans  in  diam- 
eter, and  lined  in  a  circular  form,  like  a 
well,  with  rough  stones.  Here  the  rock 
crops  out  so  near  the  surface  that,  in 
order  to  get  the  tanoor  deep  enough,  it 
has  to  be  built  partly  above  the  surface 
and  a  terrace  filled  in  about  it,  thus  of 
necessity  elevating  it  above  the  rest  of 
the  space  devoted  to  the  Passover  ob- 
servances. 

It  is  about  three  hours  before  dark  as 
we  arrive,  and  since  the  Samaritan  time 
starts  its  count  from  sunset,  let  us  forget 
our  \\^estern  watches  while  we  remain  on 
Gerizim's  heights. 

On  approaching  the  camp,  one  of  the 
first  things  to  attract  our  attention  is  the 
cloud  of  smoke  pouring  forth  from  the 
tanoor  and  curling  skyward  from  beneath 
the  kettles,  for  five  hours  of  steady  heat 
produced  by  burning  "saris"  brush  and 
thorn  bushes  are  required  before  the 
oven  is  ready  for  fleecing  the  sheep. 


Tin;  SAivr  c<)\i;.\A.\T 

As  the  preparation  of  each  lamb  is  completed  much  salt  is  rublx-d  into  the  tk>h.  "And 
every  oblation  of  thy  meat  offering  shalt  thou  season  with  salt,  neither  shalt  thon  suffer  the 
salt  of  the  covenant  of  thy  God  to  be  lacking  from  thy  meat  offering" 


27 


"ne;itiier  shali^.ye  break  a  bone  thereof" 

No  forks,  knives,  or  spoons  are  used  at  the  feast  and  great  care  is  observed  not  to  break 
a  bone.    The  fingers  are  the  Samaritan's  only  eating  utensils  on  this  occasion. 


28 


I'ATIXC;    Till';    I'ASSOVl'.K 

The  iiKiiibers  of  the  ^ix  fainihes  collect,  cacli   aiduiid  one  of  the 

(Iri-n,  and  nursing  hahies. 


leii,  women,  chil- 


To  escape  the  confusion  caused  by  the 
swarms  of  sight-seers,  boys  ^^alloinng 
about  on  their  horses  or  urging  on  hizy 
donkevs.  hawkers  calhng  out  in  loud 
voices  as  they  ])eddle  small  cakes, 
oranges,  or  sweetmeats,  we  follow  a 
friend,  one  of  the  priests,  u])  to  the  crest 
of  Gerizim.  This,  to  the  Samaritan,  is 
the  holiest  ])art  of  the  earth  and  crowded 
with  sacred  spots  and  associations. 

Tilli    SACKED    SITES   OF    GKRIZIM 

Here  one  is  shown  the  place  where 
Joshua   built   the   first   altar   of   sacrifice 


with  twelve  stones  taken  from  the  Jor- 
dan. Just  above  it  are  the  foundations 
of  St.  "Mary's  Church,  built  by  the  Em- 
peror Zeno  and  restored  by  Justinian. 
Adjoining  these  ruins  is  a  .siuall  domed 
mos(|ue.  Sheik  Ghanim,  now  iii  a  neg- 
lected condition.  A  Moslem  shrine  and  a 
Christian  church  each  in  succession  built 
on  the  site  from  materials  supplied  by 
the  remains  of  a  Roman  temple ! 

Proceeding  southward  along  the  out- 
most ledge  of  the  plateau,  the  priests 
l)oint  to  spots  where  tradition  says  the 
altars  of  .\dam  and  of  Noah  .stood.     Be- 


2Q 


YU  SHALL  LET  NOTHING  OF  IT  RKMAIxN  UNTIL  TllU  MORNING 

The  feast  itself  is  of  short  duration.  After  the  meat  has  been  eaten  the  high  priest, 
leaning  picturesquely  upon  his  staff,  recites  a  short  prayer.  Every  bit  of  bone  remaining  is 
now  collected  and  taken  to  the  altar.  "And  that  which  remaineth  until  the  morning  ye  shall 
burn  with  fire."  Note  the  two  crouching  figures  in  the  foreground  busily  engaged  in  col- 
lecting and  eating  fragments  of  the  roasted  meat. 


.10 


Till-    LAST    iSK  M'.l.l'i'lSII    I'.l.non   S  \CM^:  I  l"IC' 


M 


low  is  tlic  path  1)\  which  Achim  was  ex- 
pelled from  i'aradise.  after  haviiij^  1)ccn 
created  from  the  dust  of  Gcrizim. 

r.eyond  is  the  altar  of  Seth.  a  stone 
circle  with  a  ])avement  of  large  uncut 
stones    (probably   of   megalithic   orii;in). 

Just  beyond  Seth's  shrine,  farilicr 
south,  is  a  ditch  sunk  into  a  rock  i)rotni(l- 
ing  boldly  from  the  mountain  side,  li  i^ 
the  Samaritan  rival  to  Blount  M<iriali,iii 
Jerusalem.  Here  the  Samaritans  hcliexe 
that  Abraham  pre]xared  to  ofler  up  in 
sacrifice  his  only  son,  and  just  behind 
is  the  i)lace  where  the  ram  was  found 
caught  in  the  thicket. 

Almost  at  our  feet,  far  below,  in  the 
])]ain  of  Askar  (Sychar),  lay  Jacob's 
well,  concealed  beneath  an  uncom]:)leted 
church  erected  upon  Crusader  founda- 
tions. Under  the  s]iell  of  the  hour  and 
the  scene,  one  could  almost  i)icture  the 
Samaritan  woman  pointing  to  Gerizim 
and  saying  to  Jesus,  "Our  fathers  wor- 
shiped in  this  mountain,  and  ye  say  that 
in  Jerusalem  is  the  place  where  men 
ought  to  worship"   (John  4:20). 

'nil-:    SAMARITAN    HOLY    01''    IIOLIi:S 

Tn  the  center  of  the  plateau  is  a  large 
flat  rock  which  the  Samaritans  call 
"Kuds  el  Akdas"  ;  for.  according  to  their 
tradition,  it  formed  the  Holy  of  Holie ; 
of  their  temple.  They  approach  it  only 
on  certain  festal  occasions  and  with  bared 
feet.  This  rock  at  once  calls  to  mem- 
ory the  rival  Rock  Moriah  lying  beneath 
the  gorgeous  Dome  of  the  Rock  in 
Jerusalem. 

Although  less  extensive  than  that  from 
its  taller  mate.  IN  It.  Ebal.  which  cuts  oft 
the  distant  Galilee  view  northward,  the 
scene  from  Gerizim  is  broad  and  grand. 
In  the  spring  the  Plain  of  Moreh.  or 
Sychar.  just  at  its  feet,  is  a  ixitchwork  of 
small  fields  in  different  stages  of  growth. 
Near  the  village  of  Askar  (v^ychar). 
watered  from  a  C(>i)ious  spring,  large 
patches  of  onions  and  garlic  llourish, 
their  green  varying  with  that  of  the  wav- 
ing barley  and  wheat  beyond  and  con- 
trasting with  the  bare  and  rocky  sur- 
rounding hills.  The  elevations  are  dotted 
with  villages,  and  among  them,  to  the 
southward,  is  Awerta,  where,  under  the 
shade    of    a    great    tree,    the    t<imb'^    of 


Aarons  son  and  grandson,  I'.leazer  and 
riiinehas,  lie. 

Directly  to  the  east,  se])arale(l  from  the 
foreground  by  the  dee])  Jordan  chasm,  rise 
the  Mountains  of  Gilead.  Like  Moab.  of 
which  ihey  are  a  continuation  northward, 
they  are  suffused  with  a  mysterious  and 
fascinating  translucent  blue,  resembling 
some  ]:)recious  st(jne,  and  never  cease  to 
ca])tivate  the  vision,  especiall\-  ui^on  clear 
(lays.  The  highest  ]ieak,  Jebel  Osha, 
crowned  by  the  reputed  tomb  of  Ilosea, 
stands  out  conspicuously.  T(jwering  at 
the  head  of  the  lordan  \'alle\',  Hernion, 
with  its  perennial  snow-cap,  closes  the 
northern  limit  of  this  eastern  view. 

At  the  foot  of  .Mt.  l^bal  and  bordering 
upon  the  i)lain  directly  below  us  are  the 
excavations  of  ancient  Shechem.  Near 
them  a  small  white  dome  marks  the  tra- 
ditional site  of  the  tomb  of  Joseph. 
Southward  the  view  stretches  over  the 
long  mountain  range  which  is  the  back- 
bone of  Pale.stine,  rising  between  the 
I'lKenician  ])lain  and  the  deep  Jordan 
chasm.  When  viewed  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean, the  only  break  seen  in  the  range 
is  this  Valley  of  Nablus,  while  its  rivals 
in  historic  importance,  Jerusalem  and 
Hebron,  are  hidden  from  view.  ]\lizpah 
is  easily  visible,  but  no  glimpse  of  Jeru- 
salem save  a  little  of  its  suburbs  under 
favorable  conditions. 

Turning  westward,  the  mountains  and 
hill  country,  dotted  with  villages,  drop  off' 
gently  into  a  plain  which  extends  to  the 
l)lue  Mediterranean.  The  ruins  of  C?esa- 
rea,  which  under  Ronriii  rule  became  the 
mo.-t  important  city  and  sea])ort  in  Pales- 
tine, an(l  often  connected  with  the  history 
of  the  Apostles  and  the  early  Church,  are 
visible  under  favorable  conditions;  also 
the  orange  groves  of  Jaffa. 

Now  the  sun  is  soon  setting,  and  we 
sliall  lia\-c-  to  huiT\-  ])ack  lo  camp  if  we 
;ire  to  see  all  llu'  service  which  com- 
memorates the  h'xodus  from  Ivgypt. 

l•KA^  i:k  I'osturk  and  kohks  si.mii.au 

TO   MOSI-KMS 

As  we  descend,  white-robed  figures  are 
seen  collecting  about  the  smoking  trench- 
altar.  As  they  slowly  gather  one  by  one 
they  spread  on  the  ground  small  prayer 
cloths.  n]-)on  which  (hey  stand  with  bare 


TIllC   KURA'T    01'l'i;uiXG 

All  the  viscera  are  emptied  of  undigested  food  and  then  thoroughly  salted  and  with  the 
fat  from  the  inwards  and  kidneys  are  placed  upon  cloven  pieces  of  wood  laid  across  one  end 
of  the  trench-altar.     The  burning  goes  on  slowly  till  the  early  morning  hours. 


2,2 


THE  LAST  ISRAELITISII  BLOOD  SACRIFICE 


33 


feet,  having  discarded  their  prayer  shp- 
pers. 

While  witnessing  this  ceremony  we 
were  impressed  by  the  striking  resem- 
blance to  the  Moslem  garb  and  posture 
during  prayer.  The  clothing  of  the  Sa- 
maritan on  this  occasion  is,  in  the  main, 
white,  the  outside  garment  being  a  jubbie 
made  of  muslin,  identical  in  cut  with  that 
worn  by  Mohammedan  religious  sheiks 
and  by  the  old-style  city  Moslems,  who 
happily  are  not  adopting  western  ideas 
and  modes  of  clothing.  Around  a  dome- 
shaped  fez  the  priest  winds  a  white  tur- 
ban, sometimes  embroidered  in  amber 
silk. 

The  older  men  of  the  laity  use  the  same 
turban,  with  the  customary  flat-topped 
fez,  while  the  young  men  and  boys, 
like  the  Mohammedan  youths,  wear  no 
turbans  and  are  usually  clad  in  white 
shirts  and  drawers.  The  Samaritans,  ex- 
cept when  in  prayer,  wear  deep  wine- 
colored  turbans,  as  the  result  of  an  edict 
of  one  of  the  caliphs,  to  distinguish  them 
from  their  Mohammedan  neighbors,  for 
originally  they  wore  white  and  were  often 
mistaken  for  Moslem  sheiks  learned  in 
the  Koran.  Similarly,  the  Jews  formerly 
used  black  as  a  distinguishing  hue. 

Before  all  prayers,  the  Samaritan  goes 
through  prescribed  ablutions,  washing 
with  water  three  times  each  the  hands, 
mouth,  nose,  face,  ears,  and  feet,  in  this 
order,  and,  like  the  Moslem,  he  spreads 
the  prayer  cloth,  which  in  some  instances 
has  the  mihrab  design. 

FACING  THE  HOLY  OF  HOLIES 

Now  all  have  congregated.  The  vener- 
able high  priest,  Yakoub  (Jacob),  feeble 
and  infirm,  clad  in  a  pale-green  jubbie, 
takes  his  place  in  front  of  the  congrega- 
tion. The  two  second  priests,  Ishak 
(Isaac)  and  Tewfik,  stand  slightly  behind 
the  high  priest.  Then  come  in  rows  the 
elders  according  to  rank.  Now  all  the 
males  of  the  community  are  present,  the 
smallest  boys  lining  up  at  right  angles  to 
the  foremost  ranks. 

On  every  hand  the  walls  and  terraces 
are  jammed  with  onlookers,  mostly  boys 
and  youths  of  Nablus. 

Facing  the  holy  rock  on  the  crest  east- 
ward, the  worshipers  now  bow  to  the 
earth   in  prayer,   for  the   Samaritans  al- 


ways face  their  Holy  of  Holies  wherever 
they  are. 

The  service  begins  with  a  prayer  writ- 
ten some  seven  centuries  ago  by  the  priest 
Hassan  el  Suri.  As  it  is  repeated  in  con- 
cert, the  rows  of  the  older  men  and  the 
priests  kneel,  or  rather  sit  upon  their 
heels,  with  hands  on  the  knees  or  out- 
stretched to  heaven  whenever  any  peti- 
tion is  asked.  They  bow  their  heads  in 
unison,  touching  their  foreheads  to  the 
ground.  Some  of  the  younger  men  stand- 
ing behind,  also  with  outstretched  hands, 
join  in  the  prayer.  Throughout  the  serv- 
ice it  is  most  interesting  to  watch  the  tiny 
little  fellows,  each  beside  his  parent,  while 
all  follow  in  the  repetition  with  as  much 
earnestness  as  the  grown-ups  and  entirely 
unconscious  of  their  surroundings. 

Simultaneously  with  the  beginning  of 
the  service  the  sacrificial  lambs  have  been 
driven  into  the  inclosure  and  wander 
about  at  will,  grazing  upon  the  few  tufts 
of  green  or  treading  upon  the  high  priest's 
prayer  rug  till  driven  off. 

The  prayer  is  ended  with  a  loud  Amen  ! 
Whereupon  all  rise  and  remain  perfectly 
erect,  while  in  silence  they  repeat  another 
prayer,  called  "Akid  el  Niyeh,"  a  medi- 
tation which  denotes  the  consecration  of 
their  souls  to  prayer.  It  consists  of  re- 
peating the  five  articles  of  their  creed — 
belief  in  God,  in  Moses,  the  Pentateuch, 
Mount  Gerizim,  and  the  Day  of  Judg- 
ment. 

This  and  the  story  of  creation  precede 
all  prayers.  When  ended  a  hymn  is  sung 
in  praise  of  Yahweh,  the  little  fellows 
stretching  their  mouths  to  their  utmost 
capacity,  while  the  older  leaders,  turning 
about  from  time  to  time,  prompt  and  en- 
courage the  others  to  more  fervent  utter- 
ances. All  these  prayers,  readings,  and 
hymns  are,  of  course,  in  the  Samaritan 
Hebrew,  the  oldest  form  of  that  language 
in  use. 

Next,  from  the  hand-written  Penta- 
teuch which  each  carries,  they  read  in 
unison  21  selections,  in  which  Abraham. 
Isaac,  and  Jacob  are  mentioned  ("in  mem- 
ory of  the  fathers").  During  the  read- 
ing each  time  God's  name  is  mentioned 
the  men  stroke  their  beards  downward 
thrice.  Likewise  whenever  passages  are 
recounted  enjoining  them  to  remember 
their  God,  thcv  bow,  swinging  the  body 


34 


THE  NATIONAL  GEOGRAPHIC   AIAGAZINE 


•-«»»- 


JF  J^  U/*.  «i 


P.K'I'KOI'IIl'lD 

Among  the  Samaritans,  as  with  most  Ori- 
entals, the  parents  of  the  children  arrange  the 
matches.  The  hetrothal  often  takes  place  when 
the  hride  and  l)ridegroom  are  mere  infants, 
vvliile  early  marriages  are  the  rnle. 

forward  from  the  hips,  in  token  of  rever- 
ence and  submission. 

The  high  priest,  who  has  been  facing 
the  crest  of  Gerizim  with  the  congrega- 
tion, now  turns  about  and  repeats  an  anti- 
phon,  to  which  the  leading  men  reply,  and 
in  conclusion  a  psalm  is  sting. 

The  aged  high  priest  now  mounts  the 
fragment  bf  an  ancient  column  and  in  a 
low,  cjuavering  voice  sings  a  short  hymn. 


With  his  eyes  ui)on  the  setting  sun.  he 
reads  the  first  twelve  verses  of  the  twelfth 
chapter  of  Exodus,  wherein  are  given  the 
first  commands  regarding  the  observance 
of  the  Passover. 

KILI.ING  THE  SACRIFICE 

In  the  meantime  the  youths  and  boys 
have  carried  out  the  lambs  and  are  hold- 
ing them  in  a  circle  about  the  trench- 
altar,  where  the  caldrons  of  water  are  al- 
ready boiling. 

Over  the  lambs  stand  three  slaughterers 
with  glistening  knives  of  razor  sharpness, 
for,  like  the  Jews,  only  those  recognized 
as  knowing  the  laws  regarding  ^o,s7irr  and 
iaraf  (ritually  clean  and  unclean  meat) 
are  allowed  to  do  the  killing.  As  the 
reading  proceeds,  it  is  so  arranged  that, 
as  the  passage  "then  shall  all  the  convo- 
cation of  the  assembly  of  Israel  slay  it  be- 
tween the  two  evenings"  is  spoken,  at 
the  word  "slay,"  with  one  deft  stroke 
downward,  each  of  the  three  slaughterers 
cuts  one  throat  and  jumps  to  the  next. 

In  a  few  seconds  all  have  been  sacri- 
ficed, the  white  clothing  of  the  boys  hold- 
ing the  struggling  lambs  being  much  be- 
spattered with  blood.  Thus  the  passage 
"between  the  evenings"  the  Samaritans 
translate  to  mean  between  sunset  and 
dark,  the  twilight  hour  in  these  lands  be- 
ing very  short.  "Thou  shalt  sacrifice  the 
Passover  in  the  evening,  at  the  going  in 
of  the  Sim,  at  the  very  time  thou  camest 
forth  out  of  Egypt." 

As  the  slaying  commences  the  great 
throngs  of  Samaritans  and  Gentiles  cease 
to  crowd  about  the  priest  who  is  reciting 
and  press  around  the  altar.  All  is  a 
veritable  Babel,  with  prayers  repeated, 
shouting,  singing,  and  clapping  of  hands. 

The  joy  exhilDited  is  akin  to  that  of 
our  children  on  Christmas  morning  or 
when  around  the  blazing  tre?,  and  re- 
minds one  of  the  light-heartedness  of  the 
Jews  when  celebrating  the  feast  of  Purim, 
commemorating  as  it  does  the  destruction 
of  their  enemy,  Haman.  During  all  this 
excitement  some  of  the  little  Samaritan 
girls  and  boys  make  their  way  among  the 
sacrifices,  and  the  latter  with  their  finger 
ends  dot  their  faces  with  datibs  of  the 
paschal   blood. 

One  of  the  voting  j'jriests  collects  a 
quantity  of  the  fresh  blood  in  a  basin  and 


THE  LAST  ISRAHLITISH    BI.OOl^   SACKIllCE 


with  a  bunch  of  wild  thyme  vigorously 
stirs  it ;  then  rushes  away  to  put  a  dab  of 
it  above  each  tent  door.  Upon  returning 
he  empties  the  remainder  into  the  tiery 
ditch.  "And  ye  shall  take  a  bunch  of  hys- 
sop, and  dip  it  in  the  blood  that  i>  in  the 
basin  and  strike  the  lintel,  .  .  .  ffjr 
the  Lord  will  pass  through  to  smite  the 
Egyptians  ;  and  when  he  seeth  the  blood 
upon  the  lintel  the  Lord  will  pass  oyer 
(Passover)  the  door,  and  will  not  suffer 
the  destroyer  to  come  unto  your  houses  to 
smite  you"   (Ex.  12:22,  23). 

Incidentally  it  is  of  great  interestthat 
the  thyme  is  used.  Botanists  have  dift'ered 
as  to  what  herb  the  hyssop  might  be. 
Here  we  learn  that  this  wild  thyme  has 
properties  which  keep  the  blood  from 
coagulating.  Besides,  this  custom  having 
been  handed  down  in  unbroken  succes- 
sion, little  if  any  room  is  left  for  doubt 
as  to  its  identity  with  hyssop. 

UNLI-IAVENED  nRI'AD  AND  BITTKR  HERBS 

While  the  lambs  are  giving  their  last 
life  struggle,  youths  pass  among  the  peo- 
ple bearing  large  trays  piled  high  with 
bitter  herbs,  a  sort  of  wild  lettuce  that 
grows  on  Gerizim,  rolled  in  thin  sheets  of 
unleavened  bread.  Rolls  are  distributed 
among  non-Samaritans  as  a  token  of 
friendship. 

As  the  killing  of  the  lambs  commemo- 
rates the  sacrifice  that  saved  the  first-born 
of  the  Hebrews   from  the  fate  of  their 
Egyptian  neighbors,  so  here  also  the  eat- 
ing of  the  bitter  herbs  and  unleavened 
bread  i.s,  a  reminder  of  the  bitterness  of 
the  Egvptian  tyrannv  and  the  haste  with 
whicli  'Israel   left  the   land  of  the   Pha- 
raohs.  "And  they  baked  unleavened  bread 
of  the  dough  they  brought  forth  out  of 
Egypt,  for  "it  -was  not  leavened;  because 
they  were  thrust  out  of  Egypt  and  could 
not  tarry,  neither  had  they  prepared  for 
themselves  any  victuals"    (Ex.   12  :39). 
The  bread  is  identical  with  that  used 
by  the  Bedouin  and  journeying  peasants, 
since  the  baking  ai)])aratus  is  simple  and 
portable,  and  quite  likely  is  akin  to  that 
used  during  the  Exodus.     The  loaf  re- 
sembles a  gigantic  but  very  thin  pancake, 
being  ])liable  and  not  crisp  like  the  "mot- 
sis,"    or   unleavened   bread   used   by   the 
Jews  at  Passover. 

M  the  sacrificial   altar  the  older  men 


A  SAMARITAN  BABY 

When  pliotographed,  this  child  was  the  pic- 
ture of  health.  Shortl.v  after,  he  became  ill  and 
the  mother  always  attributed  the  misfortune 
to  tlie  "evil  eye"  of  the  camera  or  of  the 
photographer. 

and  some  of  the  priests,  who  now  .stand 
about  those  to  whom  is  delegated  the 
task  of  dressing  the  lambs,  have  kept  up 
the  reading  of  the  story  of  the  Exodus 
as  far  as  to  IMiriam's  song  of  triumph. 
Meanwhile,  as  soon  as  the  lambs  have 
become  lifeless,  boiling  water  from  the 
caldrons  is  poured  over  them,  while  sev- 
eral boys  and  men  crowd  about  in  the 
semi-darkness  and  pluck  oft'  the  wool  in- 
stead of  skinning  the  victims,  the  object 
being  to  protect  thcT  flesh  while  roasting 
in  the  ground  oven. 

TIIE   RITI-.\L    INSPI-XTION- 

Xext  the  ritual  inspection  takes  place, 
for  as  each  lamb  is  fleeced  it  is  suspended 


SAMAPaTANS  AT  PRAYER  ON  TIIK  KVK  OE  TIIK  PIT.GRIM  \GF 
During  the  entire  week  followino-  the  Fen^f-  of  fi.o  td  ,      r. 

camped  upon  Mount  Gcri.ini  On  the  hst  H  .  f  f  Passover,  the  Samaritans  remain  en- 
pilgrimage  to  the  crest  of  the  sacred  mount  l{.f° /''^f•"'■''";P'"^"t  ^'^^^  begin  at  dawn  a 
ever,  the  mpn  spread  their  praver  c  oths  "mi  rf^oZV  ^"^J""''^^  7"  ^^'^  Pil^rimage.  how- 
in  silence,  after  which,  in  a  loud  voice  ?hev  r^nl  •  '  "■'''^  ^"^^'^"  '^""'y  ^^  the  creation 
first  quarter  of  the  Book  of  Exodus  endim^viH  .hi  T''°"  '.''',  ^°^^  °^  ^^"^^^^^  ^"^'  the 
from  Hgypt.  -l^xouus,  cndmg  with  the  story  of  the  Passover  and  the  flight 


36 


ox    GKKIZI.M 


COLLKCTING    I'OK    KVIvNING    PRAVKK; 
Before   all   pravcrs   the   Samaritan   observes   prescrilicd   ablutions,   almost   identical   xvith   the 
present  customs  of  the  Moslems,  an.l  like  them  he  now   spreads  Ins  prayer  cloth. 


hv  its  hind  legs  on  a  long  pole  resting  on 
the  slioulders  of  two  of  the  men.  The 
work  of  removing  the  offal,  the  heart, 
liver,  and  lungs  is  done  by  lantern  light. 
Great  care  is  taken  throughout  this  in- 
sjK'ction  not  to  mutilate  a  hone,  for  the 
command  "neither  shall  ye  break  a  bone 
thereof"  is  strictly  oljscrvcd.  Any  car- 
cass found  ritualiy  unfit  is  put  on  the 
burning  altar  and  constmie(l  with  the 
offal.  'Phis,  however,  is  a  rare  exception. 
The  last  time  it  happened  was  some  five 
years  ago,  when  a  lamb  was  found  minus 
a  kidnev. 


Unlike  the  Jews,  who  will  not  eat  of 
the  hind  (|uarters  of  any  animal  until  all 
the  sinews  have  been  entirely  removed, 
the  Samaritans  claim  to  know  exactly  the 
cord  the  angel  touched  while  wrestling 
with  Jacob  at  the  ford  of  the  Jabbok.  and 
now  "a  deeii  incision  is  made  in  the  t1ank 
and  it  is  taken  out.  "And  Jacob  was  left 
alone;  and  there  wrestled  a  man  Avith 
him.  And  when  be  saw  that  be  prevailed 
not  against  him,  he  touched  the  hollow 
of  his  thigh;  and  the  hollow  of  Jacob's 
thigh  was  out  of  joint.  .  .  .  There- 
fore the  children  of  Israel  cat  not  of  the 


37 


88 


THE  XATlOx\AL  GEOGRAPHIC  MAGAZINE 


A  f  .  JT   S^^^ARTTANS   ASSKMBLED   UPON    THE   SACRED   ROCK 

^^^^^^;'e^n':^{::tz^^  ^  vs^^-y^rr  -  ^^^  -.  .sen 


Sinew  which  shrank,  which  is  upon  the 
hollow  of  the  thigh,  unto  this  day"  (Gen 
32:24-32).  ^     ^^^"• 

.    Deep  gaslies  are  made  in  the  fleshy  parts 
m    order    that    the    salt    mav    penetrate 
while  the  right  shoulder  is  cut  off  to  be 
roasted  on  a  separate  spit,  being  a  priestlv 
portion      Pieces  of  the  head  a're  Tlso  r^ 

ofXn  'J^r'^f^'  Only  the  males 
of  the  pnestjy  family  and  women  of  the 
same  blood,  if  unmarried  into  other  fam- 
ilies may  partake  of  them.  "And  this 
shall  be  the  priest's  due  from  the  people 
from  them  that  oft'er  a  sacrifice,  whether 
It  be  ox  or  sheep;  and  they  shall   give 

cheeks  ''  ^'"''*'  '^''  '''°"^'^''  ""^  ^^^^'^^^'o 
Now  an  oaken  spit,  the  length  beino- 
slightly  greater  than  the  depth  of  the 
ground  oven,  is  thrust  thiugh  each 
dressed  lamb  lengthwise,  the  head  hano-. 
mg  downward.  To  prevent  the  meat  slip- 
Pmg  oft,  a  wooden  pin  is  driven  throucjh 
the  spit  three  or  four  spans  above  the 
lower  end,  and  on  it  rests  a  cross-board 


As  the  preparation  of  each  lamb  is 
completed,  much  salt  is  rubbed  into  the 
Hesli._  And  every  oblation  of  thy  meat 
offering  Shalt  thou  season  with  salt,  nei- 
ther shalt  thou  suffer  the  salt  of  the  cove- 
nant of  thy  God  to  be  lacking  from  thy 
meat  offering:  and  with  all  thy  offerings 
thou  Shalt  offer  salt"  (Lev.  2. -'13). 

THE   BURNT   OFFERING 
.    This  mandate  is  also  closelv  observed 
in  the  matter  of  the  burnt  offering    for 
the  viscera  as  collected   are   emptied   of 
nndigested    food    and    then    thoroughlv 
salted  and  with  the  fat  from  the  inwards 
and  the  kidneys  are  placed  upon  cloven 
pieces  of  wood  laid  across  one  end  of  the 
ditch-altar,  and  the  fuel  under  it  now  is 
Ignited    from    the   fire   beneath    the    cal- 
(^rons.      The  burning  goes  on  slowly  till 
the  early  morning  hours. 

But  long  before  these  preparations  have 
been  completed  the  readings  have  come 
to  an  end,  while  all  those  at  work  anS  the 
onlookers  shout  incessantly.  'AVe  call  and 


THE  LAST  ISRAHLITISH   BLOOD   SACRILICE 


HANDS  OUTSPREAD  TO  IIKAVEX 

"And  it  was  so.  that  when  Solomon  had  made  an  end  of  praying  all  this  prayer  and  sup- 
plication unto  the  Lord,  he  rose  from  kneeling  on  his  knees  with  his  hands  spread  np  to 
heaven."  It  \yas  then  the  custom  with  the  Hebrew  nation,  as  still  with  the  small  remnant 
of  the  Samaritans,  to  spread  forth  the  hands  toward  heaven.  One  object  entirely  out  of 
harmony  with  the  picturesqueness  of  this  scene  is  the  20th  century  steamer  chair  in  the 
center  of  the  group  of  worshipers.  It  appealed  to  the  Samaritans,  however,  as  a  convenient 
resting  place  for  the  sacred  scroll  in  preference  to  the  quaint  but  clumsy  wooden  stands  of 
the  svnagogue. 


we  affirm,  there  is  no  God  btit  God."  In 
fact,  they  aim  to  keep  this  tip  all  night, 
btit  there  are  numerous  interruptions. 

Once  the  service  has  come  to  an  end. 
all  those  not  engaged  bow  'forward  and 
kiss  the  hand  of  the  high  priest,  saying 
in  Hebrew.  "Every  year  may  yoti  have 
peace."  lie  in  turn  gives  each  his  bene- 
diction and  retires  to  his  tent. 

HOW  TTTTv  ^n^\T  is  cookkd 

It  is  now  only  al)Out  four  hours  before 
midnight  and  the  sides  of  the  ground 
oven  are  glowing  with  heat.  The  white- 
robed  figures,  whh  much  ^houting  and 
commotion,  bring  the  spits  forward, 
holding  them  in  a  circle  about  the  fiery 
pit.  With  loud  voices  they  repeat,  "Hear 
O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord," 
and  passages  of  Scriptin-c  in  Avhich  they 
are  admonished  to  observe  diligently  the 
law. 


Suddenly  the  spits  are  sinmltaneously 
lowered  into  the  oven  and  a  wickerwork 
lid  made  of  sticks  placed  over  the  top. 
the  spits  protruding  slightly  and  so  held 
in  place.  Grass,  sod,  and  mud,  previ- 
ously collected  for  the  purpose,  are  placed 
over  this,  closely  sealing  the  lid,  so  that 
no  smoke  or  steam  can  escape,  and  thus 
extinguishing  the  fire;  but  the  heat  of  the 
stones  is  sufficient  to  roast  the  tender 
mutton.  "Eat  not  of  it  raw.  nor  sodden 
at  all  with  water,  but  roast  with  fire  ;  his 
head  with  his  legs,  and  with  the  purte- 
nance  thereof"  (Ex.  12:9). 

TIIIJ   EVENING    I'RAVIvR 

Once  these  duties  are  over  the  men 
again  collect  for  i)rayer.  Tt  is  now  well 
into  the  night.  Tieginning.  as  usual,  in 
silence,  with  their  creed  and  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  story  of  creation,  Pentateuch 
selections  jiertaining  to  the  Passover  and 


40 


THE  XATTONAL  GEOGRAPHIC  MAGAZINE 


■wf^»::rti^:::6£i 


SA.MAKiT.\:\s  CAKi.xr,  i: .\ij;a\ .L;>i UD  lrhad 

The  bread  is  made  with  flour  quickly  kneaded  with  water  only  and  baked  on  a  convex 
disk  of  sheet-iron.  It  is  identical  with  that  used  by  the  Bedouin  and  journeying-  peasants. 
vSince  the  baking  apparatus  is  so  simple  and  portable,  the  bread  probably  is  much  the  same  as 
that  used  during  the  Exodus.     The  loaf  resembles  a  gigantic  but  very  thin  prmcake. 


the    patriarchs    are    read.      Between    the 
first  selections  hymns  are  sung. 

A  lengthy  rotation  now  takes  place: 
Joshua's  prayer,  one  that  Samaritan  tra- 
dition asserts  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
using;  singing  the  song  of  Moses  at  the 
Red  Sea,  and  the  "Angel's  Song."  The 
main  feature,  however,  is  the  clothing  of 
the  high  ])riest  or  his  representative  with 
a  silken  cloth.     The  priest  now  presents 


to  view  one  of  the  ancient  Pentatetichs. 
one  in  book  form,  written  on  parchment 
It  is  an  impressive  sight  when  these 
white  figures  in  the  bright  moonlight, 
kneeling  thrice  and  prostrating  them- 
selves to  the  ground,  always  toward  their 
1  loly  of  Holies,  repeat  in  unison,  "It  is  a 
night  to  be  nnich  observed  unto  the  Lord 
for  bringing  them  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt;  this  is  that  night  of  the  Lord  to 


THE  LAST  ISRAELITISH  BLOOD  SACRIFICE 


41 


be  observed  of  all  the  children  of  Israel 
in  their  generations." 

Thus  the  three  Passover  services  are 
ended.  The  first,  before  the  lambs  are 
slaughtered,  is  called  "Salat  el  Dabih" 
(Sacrificial  prayers)  ;  the  next,  while  the 
fleecing  is  taking  place,  "Salat  el  Jismeet" 
(Scalding  prayers),  and  "Salat  el  Garub" 
(Sunset  prayers).  Under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances prayers  are  always  said  at 
even,  but  since  the  Passover  service  is 
the  more  important,  the  evening  prayer 
is  unavoidably  delayed. 

where;  are  the  women? 

During  the  afternoon  and  the  early 
evening  the  women  have  played  no  role 
in  the  scene.  They  have  kept  to  their 
tents,  while  those  unable  to  make  their 
ablutions,  and  therefore  prohibited  from 
eating  the  Passover,  are  confined  in  one 
tent. 

Like  the  older  but  now  passing  Jewish 
and  native  Christian  custom,  the  Samari- 
tan women  do  not  strictly  hide  from  men. 
but  only  veil  when  on  the  street  and 
keep  out  of  the  way  when  strangers  are 
present. 

The  present  paper  is  written  after  hav- 
ing witnessed  the  Passover  ceremony 
four  times — twice  before  the  great  world 
conflict  and  twice  during  it.  The  first 
occasion  was  when  the  author  was  a 
youth,  the  second  in  1914- 

On  both  of  those  occasions  the  women 
were  hardly  seen,  eating  their  portion  of 
the  sacrifice  in  the  tents,  some  of  the  little 
girls  alone  showing  themselves.  During 
the  years  of  the  war  this  phase  of  the 
scene  materially  changed.  There  were  no 
tourists  or  professors,  with  large  cork 
hats  and  western  clothing;  no  note  books 
and  pencils ;  no  inquisitive  questions  to 
embarrass  the  women  or  to  mar  the  an- 
cient atmosphere  of  the  spectacle. 

Once  the  sacrifice  had  been  slain,  the 
crowds  from  Nablus,  smaller  these  years 
than  usual,  descended  and  the  Samaritans 
were  left  alone.  In  the  moonlight  there 
was  no  sight  nor  sound  foreign  to  the 
surroundings  to  distract  one's  attention, 
and  the  imagination  was  given  rein.  The 
conception  wandered  back  thousands  of 
years,  and  one  only  awoke  with  a  start  to 
the  realitv  of  living  in  the  twentieth  cen- 
turv  when  a  sudden  flash  of  magnesium 


powder  lit  up  the  sky  and  then  left  all  in 
deep  darkness. 

The  evening  prayers  over,  some  retire 
to  rest  in  their  tents,  some  pray  or  read 
to  keep  awake,  while  not  a  few  sit  around 
the  smouldering  altar  watching  that  every 
scrap  is  burned. 

No  sooner  are  we  left  alone  with  the 
Samaritans  than  the  women  begin  to  ap- 
pear. They  whose  lives  are  so  immersed 
in  small  things  that  they  seldom  leave 
their  homes,  the  older  women  having  no 
education  at  all.  find  great  pleasure  in  the 
freedom  of  sitting  around  the  sacrificial 
altar,  conversing  in  their  native  tongue 
with  Mrs.  Whiting,  and  enthusiastically 
displaying  their  babies,  awake  or  asleep, 
at  this  late  hour. 

OPKxiNG  the;  ro.vsting  pit 

Thus  the  three  to  four  hours  between 
initting  the  lambs  to  roast  and  the  time 
of  the  feast  roll  quickly  by.  Incidentally 
we  retire  to  our  tent  and  dine  on  roast 
lamb,  killed  and  prepared  by  peasants  of 
the  neighboring  villages  in  identically  the 
same  style  as  the  paschal  lambs,  except 
that  the  skin  is  removed,  for  no  non- 
Samaritan  is  ever  allowed  to  partake  of 
the  sacrifice.  "And  the  Lord  said  to 
Moses  and  Aaron.  This  is  the  ordinance 
of  the  Passover:  There  shall  no  stranger 
eat  thereof." 

It  is  because  of  this  injunction  that  the 
Samaritans  so  scrupulously  collect  aiid 
burn  any  scraps  cut  away  during  the  in- 
spection, and  that  the  burning  altar  is  so 
rigorously  guarded. 

Even  after  the  ceremony  is  at  an  end. 
the  ditch  and  oven  are  filled  with  stones 
lest  any  remaining  charred  bone  or  frag- 
ment fall  into  the  possession  of  a  Gentile. 

As  the  midnight  hour  approaches,  the 
sleepers  are  awakened  by  callers  and  sud- 
denly the  camp  is  again  astir.  The  youths 
with  hands  and  hoe  remove  the  seal  from 
the  oven,  and  clouds  of  steam  pour  out : 
so  that,  even  with  the  aid  of  a  lantern, 
little  can  be  seen.  It  is  interesting  to  no- 
tice the  air  of  hurry,  although  time  is  of 
no  consequence.  The  cover  is  now  lifted 
with  much  shouting  and  screaming,  and 
the  same  prayer  said  as  when  the  lambs 
were  placed  in  the  oven.  At  once  the 
spits  are  withdrawn  and  closely  guarded 
while  the  meat  is  slipped  otT,  each  lamb 


WAVING    THE   SACRED    SCROLL,    O.XL    OF    THE    CEREMONIES    DURING    THE    SAMARITAN 

PILGRIMAGE  TO  THE  HOLY  ROCK,  WHICH  FOLLOWS  THE 

CELEBRATION  OF  THE  PASSOVER 

exposed  toward  .„e  dev'o'.ees:  w.,o"lS-e  rt^-frS  a:,d"';/e:lt'i,rr  ^fe,!?!.  '''''"''"'  '^ 


42 


SAMARITAN   PILGRIMS   AT  PRA^•|:R    IX    I'ROXT  OF  Tllli  llOI.V    ROCK 

During  the  greater  p;irt  of  tlic  service  the  !iii;li  priest  with  staff  in  hand  stands  facing 
the  sacred  scroll,  which  has  been  placed  before  the  Rock,  lie  leads  the  congregation  in 
reading. 


4.3 


44 


THE  NATIONAL  GEOGRAPHIC  MAGAZINE 


THE  BIBLICAL  SALUTATION  :   PALESTINE 

Embracing  one  another,  the  head  is  put  on  the  other's  shoulder  or  neck,  the  latter  being 
bent  forward,  and  in  doing  so  the  cheek  or  neck  is  kissed,  alternating  from  one  shoulder  to 
the  other.  "And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him  (Jacob)  and  embraced  him,  and  fell  upon  his  neck, 
and  kissed  him."     The  Samaritans  are  the  tallest  people  in  Palestine. 


into  one  of  the  great  copper  pans,  the 
shoulders  being  put  with  the  portion  for 
the  priestly  family  and  taken  to  the 
prayer  inclosure,  just  beyond  the  still 
burning  altar. 

EATING  THE  MEATS  OF  THE  PASSOVER 

Some  of  the  flesh,  being  overdone,  falls 
from  the  spits,  and  one  of  the  men  volun- 
teers to  rescue  it.  Winding  bits  of  sack- 
ing about  his  hands  to  prevent  blister- 
ing them,  he  is  lowered  into  the  oven. 
Quicklv  the  meat  is  collected  in  a  basket. 


Only  two  men  have  remained  near  the 
pit,  and  they  become  so  engrossed  with 
the  meat  basket  that  the  man  in  the  pit  is 
temporarily  forgotten.  The  heat  is  more 
than  anyone  can  endure  longer  than  a 
few  seconds,  but  the  shouts  of  the  unfor- 
tunate go  unheeded  until  a  Gentile  sends 
his  fellows  to  the  rescue. 

The  members  of  the  six  Samaritan 
families  have  now  collected  each  around 
one  of  the  lambs — men.  women,  children, 
and  nursing  babies.  The  elders  and  the 
priests    arrive,    each    girded    about    his 


THE  LAST  ISRAELITISH  BLOOD  SACRIFICE 


45 


outer  clothing,  shod 
and    bearing    a    staff 

or  cane  in  imitation 
of  the  equipment  on 
the  flight  from  Egypt. 

Now    the    meat    is 

sprinkled  with  minced 
bitter  herbs,  and  straw 

trays    of    unleavened 

bread    are    placed    at 

hand.   The  high  priest, 

in  the  midst,  in  qua- 
vering    tones,     says : 

"In  the  name  of  God 

I  call,  'Heaf  O  Israel, 

our  God  is  one  God,'  " 

etc..    while    all    voices 

join  in  singing  an  an- 
cient Exodus  hymn  in 

which  mention  is  made 

of   the  multitudes   of 

Israel  that  left  Egypt 

as   the    issue   of    only 

seventy     souls    who 

went   down   into  that 

land    in    the    days    of 

Joseph. 

Every  one  now  be- 
gins to  eat  ravenously, 

jmlling  the  meat  from 

the    bones    with    the 

fingers.     No  forks  or 

knives   are  used,   and 

great  care  is  observed 
not  to  break  a  bone. 
The  flesh  is  consumed 
c[uickly,  for  the  de- 
vout are  truly  hungry, 

having  eaten  little  sub- 
stantial   food    during 
the    previous    day. 
"And    they    shall    eat 
the  flesh  in  that  night, 
roast   with   fire,   and   unleavened   bread ; 
and  with  bitter  herbs  they  shall  eat   it. 
And  thus  .shall  ye  eat  it :  with  your  loins 
girdled,    your    shoes   on    your    feet,   and 
your  staff  in  your  hand :  and  ye  shall  eat 
it  in  haste:   it   is  the   Lord's   Pas.sovcr" 
(Ex.    12:8  and   1 1 ). 

Those  who  are  unable  to  leave  their 
tents  because  of  sickness  have  a  portion 
sent  to  them,  and,  no  matter  how  ill, 
they  always  ]xirtake  of  a  little.  Even  the 
nursingbabies  have  their  li])s  touched  with 
a  morsel,  all  in  literal  compliance  with 


the:  sacrkd  scroli.  of  the;  Samaritans  uskd  on  gi-kizim 
(rear  view) 

The  scroll  is  contained  in  a  copper  case  inlaid  with  silver  and 
gold,  with  designs  representhig  the  temple  sacrilkial  altar,  table  of 
shewbread,  the  golden  censer,  cup  of  manna,  and  other  temi)lc 
furnishings. 

the  command  that  any  one  refraining 
from  eating  it  shall  be  cut  off  from  Israel. 
Within  a  few  minutes  the  meal  is  over 
and  the  high  priest,  leaning  picturesquely 
upon  his  staff',  recites  a  short  prayer. 
Every  bit  and  bone  remaining  is  now  col- 
lected and  taken  to  the  altar.  Across  the 
end  where  the  offal  has  been  burned  the 
wnckerwork  oven  cover  is  now  thrown, 
and  upon  it  all  the  spits  are  piled,  to- 
gether with  the  bones  and  leavings.  A 
"fire  is  lighted  under  them.  Every  person 
now  waslics  with  hot  water  from  the  ket- 


Drawn  by  A.  H.  Eumstead 

A  MAP  OF  ASIA   MINOR  AND  THE   HOLY  LAND 

Showing  the  home  cities  of  the  Seven  Wise  Men 'of  ancient  ^Greece  (see  the  succeeding 
article)  and  the  land  of  the  Samaritans.  (Note,  in  the  small  inset  map,  the  relative  location 
of  Mount  Gerizim  and  Mount  Ebal  and  the  historic  cities,  ancient  and  modern,  which 
have  clung  to  their  slopes — see  text,  pages  1-21). 


ties,  pouring  it  over  his  hands  from 
ewers,  so  that  it  also  flows  into  the  ditch- 
altar,  lest  even  this  infinitesimal  qitan- 
tity  of  the  sacrifice  should  fail  to  be 
destroyed  by  fire.  "And  ye  shall  let 
nothing  of  it  remain  until  the  morning; 
and  that  which  remaineth  until  the  morn- 
ing, ye  shall  burn  with  fire"  (Ex.  12  :  10), 

Thus  the  sacrifice  and  ceremony  com- 
memorating the  Exodus  are  ended. 

Each  celebrant  now  goes  to  his  tent 
for  a  few  hours'  sleep.  Early  the  next 
morning  the  congregation  again  gathers 
for  prayers,  the  day  being  observed  as  a 
Sabbath  ;  the  first  day  of  the  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread. 

As  the  onlooker  retires  to  his  tent  or 
descends  the  path  to  Nablus  in  the  hush 
of  early  morning,  the  scene,  brightly  lit 
by  the  moon,  is  one  not  to  be  forgotten. 


;-■■  From; beyond  the  camp  a  great  white 
cloud  of  smoke  curls  skyward.  Now 
and  then  a  red  flame  licks  the  skv  or  a 
^\■hite,  ghost-like  figure  adds  some  fuel. 
It  is  a  picture  which  cannot  be  re]M-o- 
duced  with  the  camera ;  only  to  the  mind's 
eye  can  it  be  painted.  The  wood-cuts 
and  steel-engravings  found  in  our  old 
family  Bibles,  where  the  Israelitish  camps 
are  shown  with  the  pillar  of  cloud  and 
fire,  come  nearest  the  present  reality,  but 
are  lacking  in  color  and  atmosphere. 

As  we  turn  for  one  last  glance  at  the 
moon-lit  camp  and  the  redder  glow  of 
the  flame  with  the  pillar  of  smoke,  we 
cannot  but  realize  that  here  we  have  seen 
the  eating  and  burning  of  the  last  Hebrew 
blood  sacrifice,  and  there  comes  the 
thought  that  it  may  never  be  seen  again, 
for  the  Samaritans  are  a  dying  people. 


46 


PAMPHLET  BINDER 

PAT.    NO. 

877188 

Manufacluted  by 

7AYLORD  BROS.  Inc. 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Stockton,  Calif. 


BIV1175.S3W5 

The  last  Israelitish  blood  sacrifice 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00054  7499 


